Hydraulically operated flush tank



E. B. DYKES 2,884,648 HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED FLUSH TANK May 5, 1959 Filed Au 8, 1955 zzz'g 4 ggglllw INVENTOR.

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2,884,648 1C Patented May 5, 1959 2,884,648 HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED FLUSH TANK Eugene B. Dykes, Santa Rosa, Calif. Application August s, 1955, Serial No. 526,931

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-43 My present invention relates to flush tanks, and more particularly to fiush'tanks operated by hydraulic pressure.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an improved flush tank mechanism which is hydraulically operated so that no moving parts are exposed to or come in contact with water.

A further object of the invention is a flush tank as characterized wherein provision is made for periodic automatic flushing discharge therefrom and also for such discharge in the event of fluid leakage to the tank past its closed inlet valve.

In certain locations the water possesses chemical prop erties that are very destructive when coming in contact with common metals for long periods of time, so much so, that the metal becomes badly damaged by erosion and failure of the apparatus result.

In my improved flush tank ceramic coated metal parts that come in contact with water in the tank are used and these parts do not move on each other, and the water is flushed by air pressure release by means of a valve located in the tank remote from contact with the water In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the flush tank.

Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section and elevation taken on the line 22 on Fig. 1, portions of which are shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section and elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a duplication of the lower portion of Fig. 3 but showing a different position of water level in the lower trap portion.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the air release valve taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 10 indicates water tank which is preferably constructed of ceramic coated metal or any other suitable material. 11 is an inlet pipe which is provided on the top with any conventional common type of check valve 12 having a pivoted float member 13 for shutting ofi' water from the supply inlet pipe 14 when the water in the tank rises to a level approximating A in Figs. 2 and 3. 16 is a push button journalled in a nut 17 threaded to cylinder member 18 threadedly secured in an opening 19 in the tank 10 by the nut 17. This cylinder 18 is provided with a recess 20 within which the push button 16 operates, a compression spring influences the push button in a return motion. Secured to the push button 16 is a rod 21 to the free end of which is attached a valve member 22 which normally seats in a valve seat 23. That portion of the cylinder 18 and back of the valve seat 23 is enlarged in diameter over the diameter of the rod 21 to form a recess 24 having an outlet opening 25 to the outer atmosphere. Secured to the inner end of the cylinder 18 is a nut 26 to which is attached a ceramic pipe 27. The ceramic pipe 27 is tightly secured through the top of a ceramic coated dome member 28 so that there always is an air passage from the top of the dome 28 to the valve 22. The dome 28 is suspended by a spider 29 on the top of an overflow pipe 30 which has a lower return-bend trap, the free end of the upwardly extending pipe portion 33a of which connects with any suitable flush bowl or basin to which it may be desirable to attach a flush tank.

At 31 is a dome vent ceramic vent pipe which is air tight in the top of the dome 28. The outside of the pipe 31 terminates at approximately one-quarter of an inch above the lower edge of the skirt of the dome 28, the other end terminating at a lower point in the inside of the overflow pipe 30.

At 32 is a bleeder water inlet pipe connecting with the main supply line and being regulated by the valve member 33. The purpose of the bleeder inlet pipe 32 is for use where it may be desired to provide automatic flushing of the tank 10.

In Fig. 2 I have indicated by the letters A and B the manual and automatic flushing levels respectively of the tank 10. In the overflow trap pipe 30, the water level 31a is the normal level when the tank is used for manual flushing. When the bleeder pipe 32 is operating as in automatic flushing, the water level in tank 10 is higher at the time of discharge from the tank, as shown at B.

The vent pipe 31 acts as an equalizer. If the dome 28 is supplied with an insufiicient amount of air before the skirt is sealed off vent pipe 31 operates to permit more air to the dome. When this condition exists, the vent tube 31 having an opening outside the dome 28 and at least one-quarter of an inch above the lower rim of said dome skirt permits a full and uniform charge of air to enter the dome and in this manner acts as a regulator to suit various installations where water pressure may vary. Vent pipe 31 also acts as a secondary syphon which oommences to operate by the suction efiect of the main syphon water outflow in pipe 30. The syphon action of pipe 31 continues until the water level in tank 10 drops below the entry end of pipe 31.

When flushing the tank 10, the push button 16 is depressed opening the air valve 22 thereby venting the dome 28 and permitting the water in the tank 10 to rush under the dome 28 and down the flush pipe 30 and out its free end 34 of its branch 33a into a toilet bowl, basin or other receptacle, as may be.

As soon as flushing action starts, which is when the compressed air is released in the dome 28 to a point where water enters the overflow drain pipe 30, the air valve 22 can be closed. When the water in the tank 10 drops below the skirt of the dome 28 the syphon action is broken, the dome 28 is charged with air entering both from under the dome and through the vent pipe 31. When the air vent 31 to the dome 28 is closed, water again enters the dome compressing the air and forcing the water in pipe 30 down to approximately the level 31a (see Fig. 3) at which float 13 shuts ofl' the inlet valve 12. Now, if the bleeder water inlet pipe 32 is operating, as in the case of automatic flushing, the water level A in tank 10 rises to level B thereby increasing pressure in the dome 28 so that the water level 31a (Fig. 3) in drain pipe 30 is forced downwardly therein, as indicated at 32a in Fig. 4, until the trapped air in pipe 30 escapes into the upwardly bent portion 33a of pipe 30. This in turn releases the air pressure in the dome 28 allowing the water in the tank 10 to rise in the dome and enter the overflow pipe 30. The air pressure buildup in dome 28 for this automatic flush action is very substantial and this is made possible by reason of the fact that the entry end of drain pipe 30 is substantially above the level of water in dome 28 when the water in tank 10 is at the normal manual flush level A. Thus, water does not enter pipe 30 until the air lock between tank 10 and trap pipe 33a has been broken. Although the illustrated comparative lengths of trap pipes 33a and pipe 30 (plus the "height of water-level B) is such as to result in exhaustion of water from pipe 30, asindicated in Fig. 4, the prior discharge of the large volume of high pressure air through leg 30, 34 creates a suction which accelerates the flushing water outflow from tank 10.

The same action takes'place in the case of a leaking inlet valve 12 so that it is impossible for the'tank -to overflow.

In some installations the blecder pipe 32 is calibrated to pass a certain amount of water so that the tank 10 will automatically flush at regular intervals,

Of course it is to be understoodl may vary sizes and proportions within wide latitude whilestill keeping within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as 'new is:

In a flush tank assembly for water closets and' the like, asubstantially open topped water chamber-providing'tank, water supply means for said' chamber, there being a U-trap-providing flushing wateroutlet pipe from said chamber having a downflowinlet leg and an upflow outlet leg with a U-bend connecting said legs, the inlet leg extending upwardly into said chamber through the bottom of said tank and having its inlet end terminating a substantial distance above the chamber bottom, the outlet leg of said pipe being shorter than the inlet leg and having its outlet-providing upper'end terminating below the plane of the bottom of said tank, an open bottomed dome member in said chamber and providing a skirt surrounding said inlet leg, supporting means for said dome member and spacing the latter above the chamber bottom with the upper end of said inlet leg in spaced adjacency to the dome top, the spacement ofsaid dome above said chamber bottom permitting water to enter said dome to compress air therein and in the inlet leg of said flushing water outlet pipe above said U-bend to thereby provide an air lock between the-head of water in said chamber and that in the outlet leg and U-bend-adjacent end of said inlet leg, cut-ofi means for said fluid supply means and operable when the fluid in said chamber has reached a predetermined level and at which time the water in said dome will be at a normal level which is closer to the plane of the lower edge of said dome member skirt than to the upper entry *end of said inlet leg, so that an air space of substantial area will be provided in said dome below the top thereof and between its normal water level and said inletleg entry, automatic flushing actionetfecting means comprising a constantly but slowly flowing auxiliary water supply means for said chamber for highly compressing the'large air lock-establishing volume of air in said dome member and inlet leg, and the vertical distance between the normal Water level in said dome and the inlet leg entry being such that the developed air pressure in said dome and inlet leg will overcome the weight of the head of "water in the lowerend of said inlet leg and in said outlet leg-beforethe'domewater-level reaches the upper inlet leg end, whereby to exhaust'the aforementioned very substantial volume of highly compressed air out through said outlet leg so as to produce a suction action which accelerates the following flushing action flow of the released-water from said tank chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,292,776 Hodges et-al. Jan. 28, 1919 1,328,445 Newton Jan. 20, 1920 2,028,193 Colliot Jan. 21, 1936 2,081,539 Horvath May 25, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,227 Great Britain Aug. 24,1895 

